The Endless Forest

Apel: personal blog

September 5, 2011 - 12:30am — Apeldille

Thought And Memory

29/12/2019.

Almost the end of the year! End of the DECADE. wtf. I could write a lot about this year; it feels weirdly long, somehow. Had lots of things happen, and I think did most of the things I set out to do. Top surgery, got a new job and moved back to Sweden, lots of art, lots of worldbuilding, and probably more stuff.

And to think I've been here (mostly) for almost 11 years! Big thanks to everyone I've interacted with lately, and over the years <3

Also unrelated: I THIRST for reading about yall's worldbuilding, if anyone ever wants their headworld projects admired and marveled at, hit me up :weary: I just... really love worldbuilding ok

Characters & Interaction

Plot / interaction ideas? Hit me up, I'm open for most things!

Most characters originates from my headworld, the Athuan Universe.
A macrocosm of endless intersecting dimensions and worlds: Ea, and
within it, the world of Athu, the focus point - a place thrumming with
magic, strange phenomena, where universes collide and resonate
through each other.

Ideas:
• Has got a spirit hitchhiking in his mind. Peaceful for now... but who knows
• Friendships! Relationships! Enemies!

Can help with:
• He has a stash of mushrooms and plants that gives interesting effects if ingested.
• Subtle magics. Able to manipulate thoughts, emotions, feelings and dreams, to varying degrees.
• Has access to a variety of magical items from another world.

Made to serve and protect, to obey any command from their master: whoever holds power over the black stone mask.

Types of interactions in-game:
• Anything, really

Plots, ideas:
• Is affiliated with a cult and a strange entity, currently negating the point below
• If killed, their new "master" will be the next person to summon them
• Will (involuntarily) try to get people to join this cult

Can help with:
• Guardian, watcher
• Able to go between worlds
• Very physically formidable
• Not a stranger to mercenary work

As far as bios go, I love a lot of info on a character, little tid bits of what makes them tick, quirks, their opinions on various things. I like exploring a bio too. Nice to have a brief, upfront synopsis of the character but for people who want to dig, more info they can find and discover if they want.

EE Congraaats! I'm glad for you! That's amazing, you got through such a huge selection too! See, you're an amazing artist, they'd really have missed out had they not accepted you. I hope you'll have a toooon of fun!

How come this CSS got better each time I spied?
Ah, right, because unlike me, you have a great idea to start with.xP
Nah, seriously, I really like this CSS. Original! I don't think I've ever seen a layout like this before. Looks like you didn't stick with blue hues, though! xD

Yes Apel. This. It’s a bit heart breaking every time I see another artists commission price list go up with laughably low prices and worse yet that artist truly believe this is all they can ask for and this is what they HAVE to do. They undervalue themselves AND everybody else doing the same work. And THAT is such a tragedy. I could go on forever but I won’t. I’ve ranted to you enough on this topic, you know my feelings. Grrr, double grr. ;_;

you make a really good point, especially the bit about being 'unfair' for other working artists here.
i never really thought of that before, and seeing as my art is at pretty low prices, i apologize.
i've never had any intentions of stealing potential clients from others or undervaluing them. :/

the prices i have now are what i truly believe my work is worth, for now anyway! plus i like to keep them affordable for other people because i know how it feels when you really want some different art but have a pretty tight budget.

Sleepything: I don't think apologizing is neccessary c: I don't think people do it on purpose really. But it can be something to think about, can be good to check around and see what other people charge for about the same work.
Of course one should have what prices they see fit, but it's very sad when artists charge almost nothing for their work.
But it's nice to be able to buy art even if you don't have much money. Raising prices gradually is a good thing too, especially if you feel you've improved.
/ramble

I agree about the fact it's unfair for the other artists ... But sometimes, it's difficult to see that some people can't pay for art. When the person draws too, it's easy because you can do an "art trade", so it's not in exchange of nothing. But when the person doesn't draw at all, it's difficult ... Well, or give a unique gift maybe.

I don't take actually commissions about drawings, because I didn't draw since a long time and have a lot of things to learn about it yet. But if one day I'll do commissions, I'll think seriously about the price, to not be unfair with the other artists.

As I already said, your work is just incredible, and you don't have to do it in exchange of nothing ... Because you spend a lot of time to this, and must be creative.

First off, I want to say that this entry is beautiful. I love the layout and the little pictures for each character. It's a perfect excuse to track it.

Second, your updates. I feel like I tend to shortchange myself with commissions, too which bothers me sometimes. I'm not complaining; I'm just saying. For example, on a good day, a flat colored picture from sketch-start to save-finish takes me at least one hour, sometimes two. I'd like to think that my artwork is worth more than that, maybe, but I'm not sure if people would be interested in commissioning me if I were to raise my prices. But at the same time, I enjoy drawing TEF characters and don't have to survive on commission money, so I look at it as a side project with perks, or something along those lines.

I guess that one just has to find a middle ground somewhere with commissions should they decide to accept them. I'm kind of curious to see how this discussion goes, though, what other people have to say. It's something that I've been wondering myself as of late.

I know some people don't have the money to pay for art. But people don't have the money to buy other things either. Is art worth less than those things? Is art something you have a right to? I don't know... it's a difficult subject really. Personally I don't think so, but at the same time I feel everyone should have the opportunity to have art in their lives in some way. Argk.

Still, being an artist is already seldom seen as a "real" profession by people and making your art cheap isn't really helping.

Scythe: Oh, thank you!

I have to admit that your commission blog was one of those I had in mind; I believe you could charge much more than what you do, really. I think people still would commission you, your art is wonderful.

But I see what you mean, if one doesn't need the money, why raise the prices? I suppose you have to balance between what you think your art is worth/what other people charges/if people want to buy.

Difficult, really. Personally I'm trying to make my living money trough art right now (living cheap at home, I don't need very much luckily :'D) instead of taking student loans, so I can imagine how low prices could affect someone. I'm lucky enough to be able to charge what I think my art is worth and people still seem to buy it though.

@_@ I can speak for both myself and Shiori, when I say we both tried the whole 'higher price'/acceptable price thing...but we never got any bites. No one would buy. Not at all. And in the end, we needed the money so much, we lowered the prices and just worked out ways to make our art faster.

It's not the ideal situation, though, of course. If I could, I'd love to sell my work for more than its currently priced. :/

I'd like to charge but I have no clue how to set up pay pal -_-
I don't charge because at the moment I have no idea how to set it up for it. Also alot of my free commissions are for my own practice. But the main reason is I just don't know how/trust paypal.

cicadia: You and Shiori is two of those people I feel really deserves more money for their art :/ It's really weird that you didn't get any customers. How long ago was it? Have you improved since then? Maybe try to raise prices gradually... I dunno really.

OrinocoFlow: I must say, what you are doing right now is not 'free commissions', it's requests. :P Commissions are when you get paid. Unfortunately I don't have much advice on setting up a paypal, I'm still much of a paypal noob. You have to be 18 or older I think and have a bank account/visa or credit card(?). Have a look around on their website and google a bit, that might be more helpful than my advice.

Well I am 23 and have an account. I tried to set one up before but I just did not understand it so never completed it.
Thanks for advice I will check around their site and google for help (perhaps a set up tutorial)

I was curious...if I did end up starting commissions (and I'd take much longer on those so they came out far better than what I have already done) what would you think I could charge...Im never good with that sort of thing...^^'
like you mentioned in your rant I am the type that feels bad charging too much . I also am unsure how much to charge. Your art and Cicadia's art is incredible and is worth every penny you charge for your work. If I had enough money I would definitely commission from both! So with my art (I am far from having the knowledge you two have) I am not sure how to charge because I am not at your guys levels I don't think I should charge near those prices.

well, to be honest I charged low for mine because I don't know what my work is worth. I'm trying to get myself out there, I'm trying to improve in as many ways as I can. At one point in time, my art was going to be my sole way of income, now it's not going to be and I do it on the side for fun. I'd like to use it occasionally as a way to get extra cash, because I could use some, but I don't know what to charge. I don't have the skills many artists have, but I do believe I'm pretty good at cartoonish flat coloring.

As always, I'm always willing to listen to anyone with help with my art, over the past two years I've gotten a lot of help from some great people. But if I've hurt anyone's commissions in any way here (I don't think I have, I only got two commissions |D ), I Do apologize.

I totally agree with you ... if you have not money to commission art, you don't have it either to pay some other non-vital things ...

I've lost my work 2 years ago, I can't offer me anything since this time (not even decent clothes), and personnally, one of the first thing I would buy the day I recover a job, it's art from artists ... So people can't choose to pay for art, as to pay to play sport or other things they like.

I know I'm too good-hearted, and I easily take pity on people ... But often, they take advantage of me.

So thank you to have launched this debate, this let artists remind that their work deserves a pay ...

OrinocoFlow: Hahaha I'm certainly not an expert at setting prices either ;_; I have no idea really. Depends on what kind of picture it is too. Try and set a price and then lower/raise when you feel like it? Larger pictures with backgrounds should of course cost more than a simple flat coloured lineart. See how much time you spend on each picture and then decide how much money you want per hour? And then if you don't get any customers either improve more or charge lower? As I said, I'm no expert XD

Kaoori: Oh I know how it is, I have had a hard time setting decent prices on my art too. It gets easier after a while though :') But yeah it can be very difficult to set a price on your pictures, I've struggled a lot with it in the past.
And as I said to sleepything, don't apologize... it's not like you did in on purpose! <3

Eledhwen: Yeah. On one hand I feel that art is for everyone... but perhaps in a bigger perspective, like something that rather politicians or the like ought to adress, not artists themselves. And on the other, artists need money just like everyone else. Difficult stuff.